The Top 5 Ways to Improve Your Small Business Cybersecurity

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Riviera Finance November 16, 2017No Comments

Cybersecurity is a growing concern for all types of businesses as hacking and identity theft get more and more common. You can significantly reduce your risks by being vigilant and taking certain precautions. Here are the top five small business security tips to help you stay safe.

1. Create a Security Strategy

The most important step in safeguarding your business is to actually have a concrete cybersecurity policy in place. While most large companies do, this is often not the case with small and mid-sized businesses. Make sure all important data is backed up. Install security patches as necessary. Use the most up-date versions of all software that your business uses. Your cybersecurity policy should be regularly updated to reflect the latest threats as well as the latest advances in security technology.

2. Apply a Layered Approach to Security

Security is not so much a matter of doing one particular thing right. It actually depends on a variety of precautions and strategies. These include robust security software, a solid firewall, thorough education of your staff and ongoing monitoring of your system for unusual activity. A layered approach is one where you apply several steps to keep yourself secure and make sure everyone in your business is on board with your strategy.

3. Limit Admin Access

The more people who have admin access, the greater your risks. This isn’t only because people who have access are dishonest but because people get careless and make mistakes. By limiting admin access to a few trusted individuals, you reduce the risks associated with lots of people logging into your system.

4. Insure Yourself Against Cybercrime

Because cyberattacks are now so rampant, certain insurance companies are now offering policies that are specifically geared to this problem. A cyber insurance policy can help you rest easier in the event that an attack does occur. Naturally, you should still do everything you can to prevent such an event as an attack can severely disrupt your business even if you are compensated.

5. Monitor and Secure Employee Devices

In some cases, it’s employee’s personal devices rather than company ones that cause breaches in security. It’s important to have a policy in place that balances the monitoring and securing of such devices while still giving employees sufficient privacy. Make sure you’re transparent about your policies so employees know what to expect. For example, you might reserve the right to monitor only work-related communications on personal devices.

Online security may not seem like a crucial issue but if you ever experience an attack it will suddenly become incredibly important. Prevention is always the best policy and the above guidelines can help you stay prepared and reduce the chances of a cyber attack. Small business security is one way to help your business thrive in the modern world. Another way is to enhance your cash flow.

Lack of cash flow is a common problem that prevents many small businesses from reaching their true potential. One of the simplest and most powerful ways to improve your cash flow is to get invoice factoring, a process that lets you get paid for accounts receivable up front. To learn more, contact Riviera Finance today.